JUNG AND THE BODY - Jane Bacon

All we can know empirically is that processes of the body and processes of the mind happen together in some way, which is mysterious to us. (Jung, C. G., Analytical Psychology - Its Theory and Practice, p. 35)

In this seminar we will explore Jung’s notion that body and psyche are one and the same thing specifically in relation to the notion of awe and the numinous. He often wrote that the relationship between body and psyche was ‘mysterious’ and more current research and practice suggests we have direct access to knowledge and understanding through our 'felt sense' of experience, which is directly experienced and already known (Geldlin, 1996). Additionally, research indicates that experiences of awe are transformational and healing (Keltner, 2023). Because experience is key to accessing this material, the seminar will include some experiential work. This work builds on Bacon’s research into creative processes, active imagination and the role of the numinous in healing (Keltner, Watson, Kalsched). It will bring thinking from these fields into conversation with current research in neuroscience (McGilchrist, Damasio), trauma training (van der Kolk, Levine, Woodman) and body/movement psychotherapy(Chodorow, Adler, Woodman).